Next Banner WIP!

What is my next banner?

Word Bearers! A soon to be opened gaming store has commissioned a group of banners from me which I consider a great honor. The first was a sort of personal one based on a WFB Empire banner.  The second was a Raven Guard banner which I ended up selling to 19th Company due to a miscom with Dropzone, and will redo for them.  The third? Here you go.  :)

This one is based on a thumbnail of a pre heresy Word Bearers banner.  I know nothing about them in particular, but I like the imagery.  I have to say though, that this particular banner is proving to be the absolute hardest I have ever done. 

Why?  Well the background of the banner is covered with a small "texture" of crosses, repeating the main cross design.  These crosses are arranged in rigid lines though, and there are roughly 200 of them on the banner!  After struggling with how to do this by hand for weeks, I have finally arrived at my answer. 

On the second and third pics you can see a piece of cardboard. I have measured and drawn out 9 crosses on the strip, and will make a stencil out of it.  Using acrylic spray I will create the cross texture.  If I am careful, I should be able to create a nice pattern of rows all the way down the banner.

The second and third pictures show the book mostly complete while the first shows just the base colors.  I added a bit of parchment color to the flame too as a final highlight, and to bring the two together. (Flame and book)  I will go back in with the yellow and blend the white highlight into the flame. I have to wait til it dries though because I don't want them to mix and become too pastel.  I am fairly proud of the turning pages!

So today I am going to pick up the completed banners for my next four jobs from my seamstress, and while I'm out there I will grab a piece of mat board that I will use for the stencil.  I first put this on corrugated cardboard, but I fear it will not be adequate enough for the stencil.  So I will redraw it on mat before I cut the holes and spray.

Next challenge is the copy. The guys from Dropzone have sent me a huge amount of copy they would like written on the pages of the book.  I am many things, but a calligrapher is not one of them!  I have my own little alphabet I use for these sort of things that resembles the standard GW alphabet that shows up on all their banners.  The challenge will be getting it all to fit perfectly on the pages of this book on the first try.  It took a lot of time to paint the pages!  If I screw up the words, I have to redo. :(

The rest of the banner will have a box around the main image, some scrolls down the middle to the bottom of the middle flange, a couple of burning cauldrons flanking that scroll, and a couple of Imperial Aquillas on the side flanges.  I am hoping to be done with this on on Thursday. Wish me luck!

Jawaballs